The Heart, Thought Life, and Motivations

Beverly Moore October 20, 2016

This is the third class ("The Heart, Thought Life, and Motivations") in the second series of classes of the Women’s Foundation Series.

This series is geared toward women and will discuss how prioritizing, scheduling, time management, thought life, personal dress, speech and purity relate to our walk with God.

I. Welcome

II. Review

III. The Heart

A. God says that the heart is the ____________________ center of your life.

Luke 6:45 “The good man brings up good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

B. We are warned in Scripture that it is very important to keep ____________________ of what is happening in our hearts (our conscience, our attitudes, our thoughts, and our motivations).

Prov 4:22-23 “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

C. Jesus is concerned that our outward actions come from hearts that are ____________________ and fully committed to Him and His agenda.

Matt 15:7-8 “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you saying, “This people honors me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.’”

Mt 23:27 “For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”

Jer 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick: who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

D. We will need to train our ____________________ to operate biblically.

Hebrews 10:22 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

E. We are to continually allow our consciences to be ____________________ in Christ.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

F. As our hearts and consciences are redeemed and trained by God we then need to allow them to ____________________ our thoughts and actions in righteousness.

Isaiah 30:21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

I Timothy 1:5 “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

G. Application Questions

IV. Thought Life

A. We are commanded to think about ____________________ .

B. We are commanded to not allow our minds to be consumed with what was on our minds ____________________ we were saved.

Romans 8:5-6 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

C. We are told to allow our thinking to be ____________________ .

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

D. We are told to “set” or ____________________ our minds on heavenly things.

Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

E. The goal of our thinking is that we are ____________________ the Lord in all areas, not just outwardly but also inwardly.

Psalm 104:34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.

Psalm 119:15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.

Psalm 19:14 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

F. It’s important to remember that God says sins committed in our thoughts are just as ____________________ as sins committed physically.

Matthew 5:28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

G. A very helpful passage about thinking can be found in Philippians 4:8.

Philippians 4:8 Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

True: valid, reliable, honest—the opposite of false. It characterizes God and should also characterize believers.

Is what I’m thinking true about God, particularly His fatherly care for me?

Are my thoughts true about my circumstances? In my mind, do I replay conversations or conflicts?

Do I spend time fantasizing?

Noble: a quality that makes a person worthy of respect.

Do my thoughts honor God?

Do they reflect the knowledge that He is wonderful, kind, loving, wise and powerful?

Do I think noble thoughts of others?

Right: refers to what is upright or just, conformable to God’s standards and thus worthy of His approval.

Are my thoughts holy, righteous, or just?

Are they the kind that the Lord Himself would think?

Do my thoughts line up with God’s Word?

Pure: emphasizes moral purity, not defiled by sin or evil.

Do I dwell on things that are impure?

Do my thoughts cast doubt on God’s goodness or the truth of His promises?

Would I be ashamed if people knew what I was thinking?

Lovely: relates to what is pleasing, agreeable, or beautiful.

Do my thoughts flow from a heart filled with tenderness and affection for the Lord?

Would my thoughts bring Him pleasure?

Do my thoughts reflect God’s beauty?

Admirable: what is praiseworthy, attractive, and what rings true to the highest standards.

Are my thoughts worthy of praise? Are they grounded in faith?

Do my thoughts exalt God’s character?

Excellent: possessing outstanding quality, moral goodness.

Do my thoughts reflect the excellence of God, His character and sovereignty?

Do my thoughts cause me to be fearful, or do they fill my heart with courage and strong commitment to virtuous living?

Praise Worthy: worthy of commendation, deserving of approval.

Are my thoughts focused on praise and gratitude to God?

Would the Lord commend my thoughts?

Would my thoughts bring Him glory?

Ephesians 4:22-24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

H. Application Questions

V. Motivations

A. ____________________ have to do with desires and goals.

Psalm 40:8 “I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart”

Psalm 73:25 “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you” B. Not only are we taught to not worship and exalt ourselves, we are taught to ____________________ ourselves.

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

C. Scripture teaches us to be motivated out of a love for God and others.

Luke 10:27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

John 13:34-35 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”